Sanitary unit



Dec.- 10, 1957 4 F1106. April 19, 1955 N. L. MAYNE E.T AL

SANITARY UNIT s Sheets-Sh eet 1 a1 a Z7 22 {z {2 as 57 7-75 i Q s HVVENTOR. NORMAN LANGHORNE MAYNE GORDON COLBURN MAYNE BY DES JARDINS, RgyBlNSON 8. KEISER THEIR. ATTORNEYS Dec. 10, 1957 N. L. MAYNE ETAL SANITARY UNIT 3 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed. April 19, 1955 INVENTOR NORMAN LANGHORNE MAYNE GORDON COLBURN MAYNE BY V DES JARDINS, figBlNSON & KEISER Dec. 10, 1957- N. L. MAYNE ETAL SANITARY UNIT Sheets-Sheet 3 INVHVTOR. NGHORNE MAYNE Filed April 19, 1955 NORMAN LA GORDON COLBURN MAYNE DESgXRDINS, liSBINSON & KEISER THEIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent SANITARY UNIT Norman Langhorne Mayne and Gordon Colburn Mayne, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, assignors to John Leslie McDonald, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Application April 19, 1955, Serial No. 502,286

Claims priority, application Australia April 22, 1954 8 Claims. (Cl. 4-79) This invention relates to an improved sanitary unit.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a sanitary unit which is such that it requires relatively little water for its effective operation, so that provision of adequate water, or dispersal of effluent from the system, will not be likely to present any difficulty, yet which is of such improved construction that its bowl is efiectively flushed with clean water. A further object of the invention is to provide a sanitary unit having the said advantages and which may also in most circumstances be operated without any necessity for the addition of chemicals, with the result that it may be both particularly economical and convenient in use.

According to the invention, a sanitary unit includes a sanitary toilet bowl mounted upon a base which is positioned above a tank. restricted outlet leading down through the base to the tank; and this outlet may be closed at its lower end by means of a hinged seal device, which may be raised hingedly to closed or operative, position, or permitted to fall to lowered or inoperative position, clear of the inlet. When the seal is raised to operative position, a locking device acts to retain it in such position. A release member is provided whereby the said locking device may be disengaged, to permit the seal to, drop to ,open'position, and this release member is operated preferably by a seat cover provided in association with the toilet bowl, the said cover, when raised or opened to full extent, engaging with the release member and so moving it thatit acts to disengage the locking device.

There is provided a pump, adapted to be movedon its operative stroke by a' lever, such as a pedal, and to be moved on its return or suction stroke by spring-loading means. The inlet to the pump is connected by a cistern or the like which normally contains a quantity of water, which may be fed thereto, for example, from a source of water under pressure by way of a float-controlled valve. The pump outlet is connected to a flushing inlet into the upper part of the toilet bowl. A seal-closing mechanism is associated with the pumpand is adapted, when the pump is moved on its return or suction stroke to lift the seal to closed or operative position. The seal, then, is normally closed; but when the seat cover is raised so that the sanitary unit may be used, the seal is automatically opened so the toilet bowl communicates with the tank. The bowl is flushed after use by operation of the lever or pedal, and, the pump being such that it thereupon ejects a relatively small quantity of water under high pressure into the bowl by way of the flushing inlet, the bowl is effectively flushed, though only a small. amount of water is used for the purpose. As the pump. is moved by the spring-loading means on its return or suction stroke, the seal is automatically returned to closed position. The tank below the toilet bowl: may be a fairly large one, having an overflow outlet leadingto a system of drainage pipes; or; it may be: a. relatively small: holding tanklhaving an outlet to. a large septic tank, which in turn has an overflow outlet to a system of drainage pipes- In The sanitary bowl is formed with a the latter case, the relatively small holding tank outlet is closed normally by an outlet valve. At intervals, the outlet valve may be opened so that the contents of the h lding tank will be drained to the septic tank.

in the drawings:

Fig. '1 is a side elevational view of a sanitary unit according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the sanitary unit shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partly sectioned sideelevational view, to reduced scale, of a modified form of the invention, installed in associationv with a settling tank and drainage system, and

Fig. 4 is a. partly sectioned side elevational view of a further modified form of the invention.

The sanitary unit includes a base plate 10, which may be of cast metal, and which has a downwardly extending .flange 11, substantially parallel-sides with rounded front and rear in plan view, extending from a position near to the rear of the plate to a position some distance rearwardly of its front, the base plate extending outwardly of the flange to either side and in front. Mounted upon the front part of, the base plate and held thereto by bolts 12 is. a porcelain toilet how} 13, externally of generally conventional appearance, but differing from a usual bowl in that its interior, instead of leading into an S-bend or trap, leads into a. restricted substantially vertical outlet passage 14, the lower end of which passes for a short distance through an opening at 15 in the base plate 16). To the upper rear partof the bowl 13 there is secured a metal plate; 16. Lugs 17 extending up from the front part of the said plate carry a hinge pin 18 for a toilet seat 19 and seat cover 20. To the rear of the seat cover 20 there is secured a. projection-21, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.

Cast integrally withthe rear of the base plate 10 is a hollow lower pumphousing 22, of more or less frustoconical shape, with -an extension 23 from its lower front part to the lower rear part of the toilet bowl 13. To the topot. the. lower pump housing 22 there is fitted a resilient flexible disc-shaped pump diaphragm 24, made of rubber, for example. The diaphragm is held in place by a substantially frusto-conical upper pump'housing 25 having an affixture flange about its lower part secured firmly down on the periphery of the pump diaphragm 24 by screws 26.

The outer edge of the said affixtureflangeis up-turned, and so increased in depth; and there. is soldered or otherwise secured and sealed about this edge the lower part of a cylindrical sheet metal cistern 27.

An axially bored and externally threaded pump inlet element 28 is screwed into a tapped aperture in thewall of. the upper pump housing 25; Within the bore of the saidinlet element is a non-return inlet valve 29, adapted to seat on a seating; about the inner end of an axially bored seating element 30 screwed into the tapped outer end of the bore of the inlet element 28.

Through the topof the upper. pump housing 25 there isformed a pump outlet 31 over which is a non-return outlet flap valve 32, consisting of a disc of rubber or the like with a concentric major-arcuate. cut formed therein and a weight 33 secured centrally thereabove. The out let valve 32 is heldin place by screws 34 passing through apertures in an afiixture flange 35 about the lower end of an outlet valve housing 36, through registering apertures in the outer part of the rubber disc of which the said valve is a part, and engaging in tapped apertures in the upper pump housing 24. At its upper end, the outlet valve'housing 36'1eads toan integral cylindrical outlet 37, about which is. secured thelower end of a delivery pipe 38 made of, rubber or the like. The said delivery pipe has a bendinits upper-part, so that its upper end leads substantially horizontally forward and is fitted tightly into a passage 39 in the rear of the toilet bowl 13, the said passage leading into a chamber 40 in the rear part of the toilet bowl. A flushing inlet 41 into the upper rear part of the interior of the bowl leads from the said chamber.

A cistern cover 42 is fitted upon the top of the cistern 27. The said cover is formed with a cowl 43 which covers the bend of the delivery pipe 38, the open front end of the said cowl abutting against a flange 44 formed integrally about the upper part of the delivery pipe 38, the said flange abutting against the rear part of the bowl 13 about the passage 39. A holding screw 45 passes through the rear of the metal plate 16 and engages in a tapped aperture in the upper front part of the cowl 43.

Water is fed into the cistern 27 through a feed pipe 46 (see Figs. 3 and 4) from any suitable source of water to a cistern inlet valve (not shown), the inlet 47 to the housing of which is shown in Figure 1. The cistern inlet valve is controlled in known manner by a float 48 within the cistern 27. An over-flow outlet 49 from the cistern is provided.

The middle part of the pump diaphragm 23 is held firmly between an upper disc 50 and a lower disc 51. Depending from the lower disc 51 is an integral co-axial boss 52. A pump plunger 53 passes coaxially through the said boss 52, the diaphragm 23 and the upper disc 50 and a nut 54 engaged on the threaded upper end of the said plunger holds these parts firmly together. The pump plunger 53 is slidable in a bearing formed in the hub of a spider 55, the upwardly divergent arms of which bear against the underside of an annular water-collection flange 56 inclining upwardly from the interior of the lower pump housing 22, adapted to collect possible leakage from the pump and deliver it through a small drainage aperture 57 in the wall of the lower pump housing. A helical compression spring 58 is fitted about the lower part of the pump plunger, its upper end bearing against the hub of the spider 55, its lower end bearing against a nut 59 engaged on the lower end of the plunger and secured by a lock nut 60. This spring acts to hold the spider 55 firmly in place, and more particularly urges the pump plunger 53 downwards to the position shown in Figure 2, so that the pump diaphragm 24 is distorted downwardly.

To operate the pump, we provide a pedal 61 on the front end of a pedal lever 62, the rear end of which is secured to a transverse shaft 63 rotatable in bearings in the lower pump housing 22. The shaft 63 carries, within the lower pump housing, a bell-crank 64, one rearwardly extending arm 65 of which is bifurcated, its rounded extremities bearing, to either side of the pump plunger 53, below a washer 66 fitted on the said plunger below the boss 52. A catch arm 66 is pivoted at an intermediate position, to the other downwardly extending arm of the bell-crank 64. The rear end of the catch arm 66 is weighted at 67, so that the front end of the catch arm, in which is formed a notch 68, is urged upwardly.

A seal 69, which may suitably consist of a disc of a plastic material, is provided, being adapted to abut against the bottom of, and close, the outlet passage 14 from the interior of the toilet bowl 13. This seal is secured centrally, and somewhat loosely, to one end of a seal arm '70 by means of a screw 71 and nuts 72. The seal arm curves rearwardly and upwardly, its other end being shaped to form a cam 73, with a detent 74, mounted on a lateral shaft 75 rotatably mounted in bearings to either side of the extension 23 of the lower pump housing 22. The seal 69 is normally held in raised or closed position, the detent 74 engaging the notch 68 in the front end of the catch arm 66. Access to the cam 73 and notched end of the catch arm 66 may be had by removal of an inspection plate 76 over an opening in the top of the extension 23 to the lower pumphousing.

A trip rod 77 is slidable in a bearing in the metal plate 16 and in a bearing in the top of the extension-'23 from,

the front of the lower pump housing 22. A helical compression spring 78 upon the said rod between the top of the extension 23 and a collar 79 on the rod urges the said rod upwardly; but when the toilet seat cover 20 is raised and pressed rearwardly, the projection 21 strikes against the top of the trip rod 77 and depresses it. The trip rod is so arranged that when it is depressed in this manner, its lower end engages and depresses the front part of the catch arm 66, bringing it clear of the cam 73. It will be apparent that when the cam is so released, the seal 69 drops gravitationally to the position indicated in broken outline in Figure 2, opening the passage 14 from the lower end of the toilet bowl 13. When the toilet is used, the seat cover 20 is pressed rearwardly as above described, so that the seal 69 is automatically opened.

When the pedal 61 is depressed by foot pressure, the shaft 63 is turned to lift the bifurcated arm 65 of the bell-crank 64, so that the pump plunger 53 and therefore the middle part of the pump diaphragm 24 are raised sharply against the action of the compression spring 58. Consequently, water in the upper pump housing 24 is expelled through the pump outlet 31, outlet valve housing 36, delivery pipe 38, passage 39, chamber 40 and flushing inlet 41 into the toilet bowl 13. When the pedal 61 is released, the spring 58 returns the plunger 53 and the pump diaphragm 24 to original position, so that water from the cistern 27 is drawn into the upper pump housing 25 past the pump inlet valve 29. At the same time, the pedal 61 is raised to initial position. The pump is so made and arranged that it is adapted to expel a relatively small amount of water, say, a pint, at high pressure, when the pedal 61 is depressed; and owing to the fairly high pressure at which the water is ejected into the bowl, it will be found to be very effective, despite its small quantity, in flushing the bowl thoroughly.

The movement of the bell-crank 64 when the pedal 61 is depressed causes the catch arm 66 to be moved rearwardly, its notched front end sliding rearwardly under the cam 73. When the pedal is released, so that the bell-crank 64 turns in reverse direction, the catch arm 66 is carried forward, and the notch 68 engages with the detent 74 of the cam 73, so that the cam is turned back to initial position, and the seal 69 is brought automatically up to closed position.

From the rear of the lower pump housing 22 there leads a vent 80, some distance above the level of the bottom of the passage 14 from the interior of the bowl 13, and adapted to be connected to a flue 81 (see Figs. 3 and 4) to the top of which may be fitted an educt cowl (not shown) of well-known type.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the base plate 10 is mounted upon a holding tank 83 which may suitably be made of sheet metal lined with a corrosion-resistant substance, the tank being secured to the flange 11 of the base plate. A small screened air inlet 84 is provided at the upper front part of the tank 83. In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bottom of the tank is dished, and there leads centrally therefrom a threaded outlet fitting 85, closed normally by a tank outlet valve 86, consisting of an outwardly tapered annular member of rubber or the like secured upon the lower end of a tubular stem 87. Directly above the said valve 86, a bell 88 is secured upon the stem 87, its lower end being of about the same diameter as the said valve. The stem 87 is fitted closely but slidably about an overflow pipe 89 which depends from a bracket 90 secured to the underside of the base plate 10, overflow apertures 91 being formed in the upper part of the said pipe. A holding tank outlet valve release rod 92 having a knob 93 at its upper end is slidable through a bearing in the base plate 10, and is connected at its lower end to the bell 88. Consequently, if the knob 93 be lifted, the bell 88, stem 87 and valve 86 are raised so that the outlet is opened. The bell is of such configuration that it ensures that any toilet paper, for ex:- ample, in the holding tank will be deflected so that it will not be liable to hold to. the valve and subsequently prevent proper closing of the said valve. When the stem 87 is raised, it passes closely over theoverflow apertures 91, and so acts to clean any obstructions from them.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, the holding tank 83 is of modifiedv shape, and. an outlet at 94 leads from the lower rear part thereof, and has associated therewith a tank outlet flap valve 95 which may be opened by a release rod 96,. and also an overflow pipe 97.

In each of the said two forms of the invention, the holding tank 83 is adapted to be installed below the level of a toilet floor, upon which the periphery of the base plate rests; and in each case the holding tank outlet is connected by a pipe 98 (see Figure 3) connected to a settling tank 99, which may be a subterranean concrete tank of the type commonly used inseptic sanitary systems, the pipe 98-communicating, within the settling tank, with an upright tubular inlet 100, and an upright tubular outlet 101 within the settling tank communicating with an outlet pipe 102, which is connected by earthenware pipes 103 to a system of agricultural pipes 104 laid in a soakage trench.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, there is provided within the holding tank 83 an agitator 105, consisting of a transverse blade at the lower end of a shaft 106 the upper part of which is rotatable in a suitable bearing in the base plate 10. An agitator crank handle 107 is on a shaft 106 which may be removably engaged in a bearing in the metal plate 16, and have its lower end releasably engaged with the upper end of the agitator shaft 105, so that rotation of the crank handle 107 will rotate the agitator.

The form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 is adapted to be operated without the use of chemicals. Upon the seat cover being raised and pressed back, the seal 69 is opened, as before described; and after use of the toilet, the bowl is flushed into the holding tank 83 by depressing the pedal 61 so that a small quantity of water is expelled at fairly high pressure into the bowl, and when the pedal is released the seal is brought back to closed position, as before set out. Owing to the provision of the seal 69, and to the locating of the vent 80 to the flue 81 above the level of the said seal, there will be no likelihood of unpleasant odours emanating from the toilet bowl to any appreciable extent. The provision of the air inlet 84 ensures that a current of air will pass the bottom of the passage 14, from underneath the floorboards to the flue so that if a perfect closure is not effected by the seal 69, air will be drawn down the bowl so unpleasant odours will not rise therein. Once, twice or more often each week, depending upon the amount of use of the sanitary unit, the holding tank 83 is emptied to the settling tank 99 by opening the holding tank outlet valve. It will be appreciated that the small quantity of water used for each flush would be quite inadequate to flush a toilet bowl to a remote settling tank, as shown in Figure 3; and therefore the holding tank 83 serves to hold liquid and excreta until there is a volume adequate to flow freely to the settling tank upon the opening of the outlet from the holding tank 83.

The form of the invention shown in Figure 3 is intended for use with chemicals, which are added to the bowl in measured quantities at intervals. The agitator is operated by means of the handle 107 to break up excreta within the holding tank 83 for the more eflicient effect of the chemicals, and so that no free chlorine released by the chemicals will remain, to be passed into the settling tank 99 when the outlet from the holding tank is opened. The water fed into the holding tank 83 with each flushing of the toilet will, of course, obviate the necessity for adding measured quantities of water to the unit at intervals.

In the: application of' the invention shown in Figure 4, no holding tank is used, as the unit is mounted directly above a settling tank 109 sunk in the ground. Consequently, as the unit flushes directly down into the settling tank, there is no necessity for the holding tank. In this example, the settling tank 109 has a transverse partition in its upper part somewhat above and somewhat below the level of the outlet 110 from the tank, which is connected by earthenware pipes 111 to a system of agricultural pipes 112 laid in a soakage trench.

Sanitary units according to the invention will be found to be very effective in achieving the objects for which the invention has been devised. It will be understood, of course, that the particular embodiments hereinbefore described may be subject to minor modifications of constructional detail and design without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1.. A sanitary unit including a base; a sanitary toilet bowl mounted on the base; a tank below the base; a re.- stricted outlet from the bowl leading down through the base to the tank; a flushing inlet to the upper part of the bowl; a pump, its inlet connected to a water container, its outlet connected to the flushing inlet; a pump lever adapted tobe moved in one direction to cause the pump to move on its working stroke; spring-loading means adapted to move the pump on its suction stroke; a movable seal associated with the bowl and adapted to be raised to close the lower end of the outlet from the bowl, or permitted to drop to open the outlet; a seal catch adapted to retain the seal releasably in closed position; a release member adapted to be moved to disengage the sealcatch; and a seal closing mechanism associated with the pump and adapted, upon the return stroke of the pump, to raise the seal to closed position; the pump being adapted to be operated by the pump lever to direct a relatively small volume of water under pressure through the flushing inlet so that, the seal having been opened, the bowl is flushed through its outlet to the tank.

2. A sanitary unit including a base; a sanitary toilet bowl mounted on the base; a tank below the base; a restricted outlet from the bowl leading down through the base to the tank; a flushing inlet to the upper part of the bowl; a pump having a pump plunger, the pump inlet being connected to a water container, the pump outlet being connected to the flushing inlet; a pump lever connected operatively to the pump plunger and adapted to be moved in one direction to move the plunger on its working stroke; a spring associated with the plunger and adapted to urge it on its suction stroke; a seal connected to a shaft rotatably mounted on the base, the seal being adapted to be raised to close the lower end of the outlet from the bowl or permitted to drop to open the outlet; a detent on said shaft; a catch associated with the pump plunger and adapted, on the suction stroke of the plunger to engage and move the detent to move the seal to closed position; and a release member adapted to be moved to disengage the catch from the detent; the pump being adapted to be operated by the pump lever to direct a relatively small volume of water under pressure through the flushing inlet so that, the seal having been opened, the bowl is flushed through its outlet to the tank.

3. A sanitary unit including a base; a sanitary toilet bowl mounted on the base; a tank below the base; a restricted outlet from the bowl leading down through the base to the tank; a flushing inlet to the upper part of the bowl; a pump having a pump plunger, the pump inlet being connected to a water container, the pump outlet being connected to the flushing inlet; a pump lever operatively connected to a. bell-crank one arm of which engages the pump plunger, the lever being adapted, when moved in one direction, to move the plunger on its working stroke; a spring adapted to urge the plunger on its suction stroke; a seal connected to a shaft rotatably mounted on the base, the seal being adapted to be raised to close the lower end of the outlet from the bowl or permitted to drop to open the outlet; a detent on said shaft adapted to be engaged by a catch lever fulcrumed on the other arm of the bell-crank, the catch lever being adapted, on the suction stroke of the plunger, to engage the detent and to move it to so as to move the seal to closed position; a seat cover hingedly mounted on the toilet bowl; a push rod adapted to be engaged and depressed by the seat cover when raised and adapted when depressed to move the catch lever clear of the detent; the pump being adapted to be operated by the pump lever to direct a relatively small volume of water under pressure through the flushing inlet so that, the seal being in open position, the bowl is flushed through its outlet to the tank.

4. A sanitary unit including a base; a sanitary toilet bowl mounted on the base; a holding tank below the base; an outlet from the lower part of the holding tank adapted to be connected to a septic settling tank; a valve adapted to close the holding tank outlet; a handle adapted to be operated manually to open the holding tank outlet valve; a restricted outlet from the bowl leading down through the base to the holding tank; a flushing inlet to the upper part of the bowl; a pump, its inlet connected to a water container, its outlet connected to the flushing inlet; a pump lever adapted to be moved in one direction to cause the pump to move on its working stroke; springloading means adapted to move the pump on its suction stroke; a movable seal associated with the bowl and adapted to be raised to close the lower end of the outlet from the bowl, or permitted to drop to open the outlet; a seal catch adapted to retain the seal releasably in closed position; a release member adapted to be moved to disengage the seal catch; and a seal closing mechanism associated with the pump and adapted, upon ,the return stroke of the pump, to raise the seal to closed position; the pump being adapted to be operated by the pump lever to direct a relatively small volume of water under pressure through the flushing inlet so that, the seal having been opened, the bowl is flushed through its outlet to the holding tank.

5. A sanitary unit according to claim 4 wherein there is provided in the holding tank a rotary agitator, mounted on a shaft rotatably mounted in the base; the agitator shaft being adapted to be rotated by a handle.

6. A sanitary unit according to claim 4 wherein the holding tank outlet is in the bottom of the holding tank, the holding tank outlet valve is on a vertically movable stern, and a bell-shaped element is secured on the stem above the valve and with its larger end abutting against said valve for clearing same of obstructions.

7. A sanitary unit according to claim 4 provided with an agitator in the holding tank.

8. A sanitary unit according to claim 4 wherein the holding tank outlet is at the bottom of said holding tank and the holding tank valve is provided with means for keeping it free from obstructions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 907,768 Fromhart Dec. 29, 1908 1,158,992 Duner Nov. 2, 1915 1,303,358 Montgomery May 13, 1919 1,996,325 Cox Apr. 2, 1935 2,078,415 Salsbury Apr. 27, 1937 2,431,263 Lundgren Nov. 18, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,853 Sweden Mar. 11, 1952 

